1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video compression/decompression (codec) processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional video compression/decompression processing relies on asymmetric computation between the encoder and decoder. The encoder is used to do all the analysis of the video stream in terms of inter- and intra-frame components, including block-based motion computation, and also in terms of object-based components. The analysis is used to compress static and dynamic information in the video stream. The decoder simply decodes the encoded video bitstream by decompressing the intra- and block-based inter-frame information. No significant analysis is performed at the decoder end. Examples of such codecs include MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.263, and related standards. The quality of “codeced” video using the traditional asymmetric approach is reasonably good for data rates above about 1.2 megabits/second (Mbps). However, the typical quality of output video is significantly degraded at modem speeds of 56 kilobits/second (Kbps) and even at speeds as high as a few 100 Kbps.